Childhood Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease. With asthma, breathing is sometimes difficult due to these changes in the lungs:

Swelling of the lining in the airways

Tightening of the muscles around the airways (a spasm)

Extra mucus in the airways

Asthma is not contagious. It is a lifelong disease which can be controlled with daily medications. Although asthma is a chronic disease, anyone with asthma can have an acute (sudden) attack of symptoms.